The city of Hargrove has a population of 2.3 million people. Of those, 2.2 million are taxpayers, and the remaining .1 million are illegal immigrants and homeless. For every one hundred citizens, there are five policemen, seven firemen, and three doctors. The most active and well-reputed hospital in the city was the South County Hospital. The staff was kind and efficient. The surgeons were held as some of the most effective in the country, and even the interns were commended for their work.

Tanner Grady was one of the newest interns in the facility. He was looking to go into something technical and highly-specialized. Something that took intense dedication and skill. Something that would pay for that car he wanted, and maybe an antique pinball machine. Or, with the rate he dropped equipment and mixed up medical orders, he could get a job that would allow him to keep an under-sized apartment and a Moped. Sure, he was the one bringing down the rep of all the interns around him, but they only hated him a little for it.

Any chance to make up for a mistake was golden for Tanner. He was 28 and about to have to make one of those big life-decisions about what he wants to do with himself and blah blah blah. He just had to make sure the guy was checked in, let a doctor know, and make sure the guy didn’t bleed or die while he waited for his doctor.

The patient was Joe Abbey. Late fifties, Caucasian, underweight. Coughing fits and headaches.

Tanner triple-checked the chart. Just do what he had to do. He flipped through the chart quickly. “Alright, Mr. Abbey. How would you descri-”

“It hurts.”

“I understand that you have a headache, could you just say what type of pain you’re experiencing. Is it sharp, pounding?”

Joe began coughing. He covered his mouth, but the sound echoed through the room. Tanner offered him one of the flimsy tissues on the counter, but he refused it.

“It hurts, dammit!”

“Mr. Ab-”

“Get me my doctor, dammit!”

Tanner filled out what he could of the chart before slipping out. “Angry son of a-” he mumbled as he hung the chart on the door.